'Memories Of My Body', Indonesia's official submission to the Oscars faces ban

Memories Of My Body directed by Garin Nugroho faced a ban prior to it being chosen as the official entry from Indonesia for the Oscars Foreign Film Category. The film follows the story of Indonesian dancer Rianto. Read on to know more about this story.

Memories of My Body faces ban before official Oscars entry

Indonesian director Garin Nugroho’s film Memories Of My Body faced heavy criticism right from the time it was released. The film is inspired by the real-life of famous Indonesian dancer Rianto. Memories Of My Body that was released in April, after which it faced bans and tremendous backlash online in the conservative country. Even though the film faced ban in Indonesia, Nugroho’s film Memories Of My Body was selected by the Indonesian Film Selection Committee as its official submission in the international feature film category in the Oscars this year.

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Garin Nugroho in an interview with a media portal spoke about the backlash the film received. In the interview, Garin stated that he thought there would be some buzz about the film’s storyline and it will become old news in no time. But now the director feels that he just cannot seem to escape it. After the film was chosen as Indonesia’s official entry to the Oscars, Nugroho in an interview with another media portal also shared his delight and what this nomination means for the film industry in Indonesia.

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He said that this is a very good sign for cinema in Indonesia. He continued that the content of the film Memories Of My Body is a story that is a reality of the middle of society. People can relate to the views of the film unless their take is at the extreme end. I do not think we can ever give in to the extreme ways of thinking. The film has faced opposition but I think we have also seen positive signs for freedom of expression and positive support from the world. The negative forces that you face are simply the consequences you face as an artist said Nugroho.

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